This week’s Cult Heroes takes us back to the 70’s and an overseas player who went on to become one the Club greats. Barbadian, Keith Boyce rose to international honours during his time at the Club and lives long in the memory of supporters and his former Essex teammates.
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Essex Career Stats (1966-1977)
Debut: 11 June 1966 v Cambridge University (First-class friendly)
Appearances: 360
Runs: 9097
First Class Average: 22.75
Highest Score: 147* – 1969 v Hampshire
Centuries: 4
Fifties: 43
Wickets: 905
Best Figures: 9-61 – 1973 v Leicestershire
A dynamic right-handed batsman and hostile right-arm bowler, Keith remains one of the most exciting imports to have played for the county. Boyce was first spotted playing for Barbados by the late Trevor Bailey who was then captaining the Rothman Cavaliers on a tour of the West Indies. Bailey had seen the 21-year-old Barbadian bowl in the match and was so impressed that, between innings, he offered him a contract before even seeing him bat. And Bailey would have been even more encouraged when the young prospect scored 55 to underline his all-round capabilities!
Keith David Boyce was born on 11 October 1943 and arrived in England in 1965. He spent two years qualifying but during that time, he received coaching lessons for the first time in his life. He was allowed to play friendly matches during his time qualifying period during which he made a stunning debut taking 9 for 61 against Cambridge University at Brentwood and 4 for 47 in the second innings. During one Second XI match, he struck a whirlwind 125 before lunch – and he had only started his innings at 12.30 p.m! Whilst waiting to be unleashed on the county game, he spent his time playing club cricket for Walthamstow.
His time with the county spanned the years from 1966 to 1977 before continuous knee problems finally ended his career.
The charismatic individual was a fine all-round sportsman – at one time he was goalkeeper for Barbados – and epitomised the Essex philosophy of having fun and playing the game with a smile. “I can’t understand any player not enjoying himself tremendously,” he insisted.
There were naturally a host of notable achievements for the county including his maiden championship century which came against Hampshire at Ilford in June 1969 when he scored 147 in just three hours that contained 21 fours. He took a hat-trick during the County Championship clash with Warwickshire in 1974 and the following season, scored a century in 58 minutes against Leicestershire facing conventional bowling throughout his innings. It was the fastest domestic hundred for 38 years and included 8 sixes and 7 fours. He also returned 12 for 73 in the same match but finished on the losing side!
In one-day cricket, his exploits included his innings of 98 from 54 balls in the John Player League against Surrey at The Oval in 1971. Later in the competition that summer, he returned 8 for 26 against Lancashire at Old Trafford and performed a hat-trick against Somerset at Westcliff. He became the first player to complete the Sunday League “double” of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets.
Had he played in the modern era; he would have been an automatic inclusion for a Twenty20 side anywhere in the world.
He had a simple philosophy towards the game. “I like to attack,” he said. “If the ball is pitched up to me, I try and hit it as far as I can and when it goes a long way, I have a deep inner satisfaction.”
Here was a rich entertainer in the true sense of the word who was guaranteed to put bums on seats wherever he played. Graced with an athletic frame, not only was he a superb fast bowler but an explosive batsman. For good measure, Boyce was one of the few players who could leave one gasping in admiration as a fielder for there was no greater sight than to see him speed around the boundary and in one movement swoop on the ball and deliver it like a missile into the gloves of the wicketkeeper.
He scored 6,848 runs and took 662 wickets in 211 first-class matches for Essex plus 2,249 runs and 243 wickets in 149 List ‘A’ games. He was also a brilliant, athletic fielder as recalled by his Essex captain Keith Fletcher who said: “He had a wonderful arm and the ball was often returned from the outfield like a cannon. We all backed up when ‘Boycey’ had the ball.”
It came as no surprise when Boyce forced his way into the West Indies Test side, but niggling injuries limited his appearances to 21 matches. In those, he scored 657 runs and collected 60 wickets.
His outstanding performance came at the First Test at The Oval in 1973 when he emerged with 11 for 147 (the best return by a West Indies cricketer against England at that time) and struck 72 while going in at number nine. In the Third Test at Lord’s, Boyce was again the arch destroyer when he claimed match figures of 8 for 99. His 19 wickets in that three-Test series cost just 15 runs each and his achievements that summer earned him the distinction to be named as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year in 1974.
Against Australia in 1976 he hit an unbeaten 95 to save the follow-on against Australia in Adelaide and then struck a half-century in the second innings – and this against an attack containing the fearsome duo of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson.
His heavy workload took its toll on his knees and it was a great loss when he was forced to retire in 1977 – his benefit year – and after an emotional farewell to Chelmsford, he returned to Barbados where sadly, personal problems blighted his life.
Matters seemed to have improved when he took a position running the Barbados Cricket Association lottery and coaching youngsters but sadly, on his 53rd birthday, he collapsed and died of a heart attack.
Certainly, he left cricket lovers with many fond memories.
